Before Stephanie Fuja took over as coach, it would have been unheard of for the varsity cheerleading squad at Glenbrook South to place in cheerleading competitions. But that's changing.

"When I came in coaching five years ago, it was a dying program of six girls total," said Fuja. "They gave me a chance to try and do something about it. Every year it's been more successful, and they're exceeding my goals significantly."

This year the team placed in a competition of the ICCA — the Illinois Coaches Cheerleading Association. To qualify, a team needs to score 78 or more. The team scored 84, and will compete in the state finals Feb. 9 in Springfield.

The team also competed at the Illinois High School Association regionals on Jan. 26, but did not qualify for the finals. But the coach and cheerleaders remain positive.

The ascent of Glenbrook South's cheerleading team comes from a combination of the coach's background, practice and teamwork, according to members of the squad. A former cheerleader at Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Fuja was involved in the combined pompon and cheerleading program called the Stevenson Sprit Revolution.

"I thought about it as a coach," she said. "How can I help this program and change it to make it strong as it should be? It shouldn't be dying. That's ridiculous."

She approached girls who were well known in the school and recruited others.

"We had to work on strengthening to be athletes," she said. "The girls who couldn't handle it left. The girls who wanted to be part of change and real athletes stayed."

The cheerleaders also work with an assistant coach who is a tumbling specialist.

Fuja tells them to put their hearts in it, and do the best they can. That seems to have paid off.

"I really think it's the contributions from all the girls," said Courtney Zsitek, a senior. "And especially from the coach because she's put so much time and effort and dedication into coaching us and she's really turned the program around.

"We're recognized around the school a lot more and more respected than in the past," she added.

"We have to have a lot of passion, drive for this sport," said Kaylee Sherman, another senior. "I was here when it was starting to build up. It means a lot having a team that scored high and see all the goals we've accomplished."

Not advancing to the IHSA finals was disappointing, but the team seems ready to bounce back.

"They performed amazing," said Fuja. "… It was a tough sectional, but we are ending our season with the ICCA state finales that we already qualified for."